Many people begin to use cloth nappies part time or as and when it’s convenient. This is GREAT because it allows time to adjust and work out what suits your baby and family routine and what doesn’t. Regardless of whether you go part time or full time – how many nappies do you actually need in your stash?

If you want to use full time straight away or increasing your use from part time you will be wondering how many cloth nappies you need. Consider a few factors:

The age of your baby, newborns require changing much more frequently than older babies and toddlers, including throughout the night.
The frequency you will be washing. Most people like to wash every second day but for others washing every third day, or every day is convenient.
The type of nappy you use. You will not need as many wraps or covers as you do absorbent inner parts.

You will need to allow for nappies to be dirty and waiting for the wash, others being washed and dried and the ones that are clean and ready for use. For most people changing 5 times a day (including night) this means they will need 15 plus a few spare. 20 we believe is a great number to start working towards for your stash if you want to cloth full time.

Once you have your nappies you will need to prepare them for use. Consult the manufacturer guidelines for their specific advice. A common preparation is to wash the nappies once with your usual detergent (provided it doesn’t contradict the manufacturer guidelines). This ensures any factory residue or loose fibres are removed.

Absorbent materials get more able to hold liquid inside their fibres the more they are washed. You can run the absorbent parts of your nappy through a few short washes (no need for detergent) to maximise their capability before use. There is no need to do this for wraps or the pocket shells of course. Skipping this step just means that you may want to boost your nappies for the first few uses until they are fully functioning. Nappies can then be dried and prepared as necessary for use!

The Recommended amount to start for a full set is approximately 15-25 nappies. This is dependent on your little ones and how often you are washing.
How many cloth nappies you own is completely up to you but selecting an amount that means you can use them successfully is key. Let us know in the comments how many nappies do you have in your stash?